


I'll Always Need You

by HerLoyalShipper



Series: I Can Help You Harry [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Picnics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 11:43:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11508717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerLoyalShipper/pseuds/HerLoyalShipper
Summary: Harry and Draco finally get some quality one on one time. There are alot of feelings happening right now.





	I'll Always Need You

Draco’s POV

Since Hermione had returned to Hogwarts things had been different. Yes Draco was calling her Hermione even in his head, Harry insisted. Harry had been happier which Draco was glad to see; but he was also spending less time with Draco. Hermione often wanted to have dinner with Harry and Harry’s wounds had healed so he had stopped coming down to the prefects bathroom. He still talked about how he struggled sometimes when someone would trigger a memory by bumping into him or a loud noise startled him but all in all Draco felt like he was no longer needed and Harry perhaps didn’t want to spend time with him anymore.

This was why he was pleasantly surprised when an owl landed in front of him at breakfast a letter in its beak.

_Dear Draco_

_It feels like forever since we hung out. Want to spend this Hogsmead weekend together?_

_Your friend_

_Harry_

Draco was taken aback at the proposal. It was the first Hogsmead weekend since Hermione’s returned and he had assumed Harry would want to go to Hogsmead with her instead of staying in the castle with him.

He waited until his free period before lunch to scribble back a reply and tie it to his hawk owls leg and sending it off to Harry. He started planning their day together. A picnic by the lake sounded nice, it would be good to be able to leave the confines of the castle during the day with Harry. The hadn’t wanted their friendship public for obvious reason.

Draco spent the rest of the week in a state of both bliss and panic. He wanted everything to be perfect for the weekend and he only had a few days to make it come together. He had owled his mother and asked for his favourite chocolates from France. She always had a spare box lying around in case of emergency. He then went about asking the house elves to make Harry’s favourite meals treacle tart included. 

He could barely sleep the night before and was found pacing the common room around midnight by Blaise who just rolled his eyes at him and stomped back to bed.

Draco wiped his hands on his robes for the fourth time that morning as he watched the student body leaving the castle in gaggles of loud laughter and rough housing. He smiled at the groups of friends as they left and wondered what life would have been like if he had been different, nicer. Maybe he would have more friends. Maybe Harry would have been one of them and confided his secret in him years ago.

“Hey Draco,” Harry said coming up behind him and starling him out of his revive. He felt the age ago trickle of fear shudder through him at the slight fright he received.

“Hey Harry. You startled me,” he admonished softly trying to calm his slightly racing heart while forcing a smile on his face.

“Sorry. I’m just excited. It’s great that Hermione is back and all but I still want us to be friends.” Harry said bouncing on his heels a bit. An action that Draco knew was his nervous tell.

“We better get going. I thought we could spend the time to enjoy the lake before it gets too cold to leave the castle” Draco lead Harry out of the castle into the crisp autumn air. Draco could feel the chill of winters promise in the air as the autumn months were coming to a close. Winter was always his favourite season he wondered if harry also liked it or did he prefer the heat of summer where he no doubt spent a lot of time outdoors if his sun kissed skin said anything about it.

“Whatcha thinking about so hard,” Harry asked in a childlike manner.

“I was just realising how little I know about you.” Draco confessed, feeling a little sheepish.

“How did you come to that conclusion?” Harry asked befuddled.

“Well I was just thinking that winter is my favourite season and that I didn’t know if you liked winter as well. And now that I say it out loud I just sound like a bit of a tosser really.” Draco said looking at his shoes. He sounded like an idiot. He is a Malfoy he was better than this, a voice that sounded suspiciously like his father mentally berated him.

“Oh well winters great but I think I prefer spring. The whole promise of a new life and all. I like how everything just seems to come back to life, like no matter how awful and harsh the winter is spring is always there right afterwards to remind us of how beautiful the world can be.” Harry said as they both gazed out across the lake in thought.

“That was the most poetic thing I think I have ever heard you say,” Draco couldn’t help but giggle.

“Oh shut up,” Harry laughed back.

They took a walk around the lake sharing titbits about their lives and catching up on the week spent apart. Hermione was apparently forcing him to study twice as hard with her to ‘catch her up’. Which he thought was bollocks since she had all the materials and the homework and reading assignments were sent to her. At some point in their walk Harry had stumbled and Draco had grabbed his hand instinctively to balance him. Harry looked at their joined hands in shocked silence for a minute but made no move to break the contact. Instead he rambled on about the most recent quidditch match they had both attended. It was their easy topic. What they would talk about when something was happening that made them uncomfortable and they needed something they could both easily talk about. Draco wanted to talk about the hand holding which was doing interesting things to his insides but Harry had made it clear that although it was happening and for Draco a literal dream had come true they were not going to mention it.

A while later Draco called the house elves to bring the basket of food they had prepared. He sat down on the blanket with Harry only then releasing the hand he had been holding for the past half an hour. Draco laid out the food and they ate in companionable silence. It was soothing on Draco’s raw nerves. He hadn’t let someone past is stony exterior in so long.

“I’m glad we did this Draco. I know it’s been kind of my fault that we haven’t seen much of each other and I guess if I was you I would feel abandoned but yeah…” Harry finished lamely.

“It’s okay Harry. Hermione had just come back and I understand that you wanted to spend time with her. I won’t say I wasn’t a little lonely. I just feel like you don’t need me anymore.” Draco said honestly. In for a penny in for a pound right.

“I’ll always need you.” Harry responded quietly. “You’re really the only person who understands how it feels to- you know…” he gestures awkwardly between them and Draco understands. Its hard around others where you have to pretend that you’re okay all the time Where if Harry had a breakdown with Draco he knew better than to ask if he was okay. He knew not to touch and to just sit there and talk about quidditch or dobby’s knitting or something inane.

“I get it too. I know that sometimes it all feels like an act and its draining and I want you to not have to do that around me. I feel I don’t around you.”

“Do you still get nightmares and stuff. I know it’s been a while since it stopped, for you. But I was just wondering.”  Harry mumbled the ending looking at his feet.

“For the most part I sleep fine. But if you’re asking me if you ever feel normal then probably not but it does gets better. Things are more infrequent and only when I’m triggered, but it’s never just gone. We had something awful happen to us by people we were supposed to trust who are supposed to love us..” Draco trailed off he felt tears forming in his eyes from hurt or frustration.

“It’s okay Draco. We have each other now.” Harry scooted closer and let Draco lay his head on his shoulder

“Thanks Harry,” Draco murmured.

“Sometimes I feel silly that you look after me so much.” Harry confided. “he used to tell me that I was weak and sometimes I feel like letting you help me is confirming that.” Harry said into the crisp afternoon air.

“He’s wrong.” Draco said his head still on Harry’s shoulder. “I once got told that asking for help is one of the strongest and bravest things a person can do.”

“They sound very wise.” Harry commented.

“She is.” Draco smiled and took comfort in the fact that things between them were looking up.


End file.
